Homeschoolers pass the test and the torch

By Maryann Koopman

Homeschooling is no longer a novel idea. However, as many of the pioneers of this movement mature into adulthood, some people are still concerned about how these students will fare getting into colleges, succeeding in those ventures and ultimately making it in the “real world.”

“A couple of years back, it was a big deal in terms of if they could be admitted to college,” says Dr. Lee Griffith, homeschool father of two and professor of psychology at AU. “Now it’s quite the opposite — everyone’s trying to recruit them.”

Anderson University admits a fair number of homeschoolers each year, although hard statistics are unavailable. Acceptance of homeschoolers at AU is no different than for any other student applying, according to Jim King, director of admissions.

“My impression is that, in most ways, homeschooled students are better prepared for the ‘independent learning’ atmosphere of college than the typical school student, and often have a good work ethic, strong family support and are in other ways a good fit with AU,” says King.

But getting accepted into college is only half the battle. The transition into the atmosphere of higher education seems to differ from person to person. For Michael Natali BA ’01 his experience was “probably like most others.” He explains that from his standpoint, homeschooling was more of a help than a hindrance in terms of getting used to college, since he was already accustomed to time managing and interacting with students on the college level.

AU senior Jason Wolfgang saw things a little differently. “From an extracurricular standpoint,” he says, “[homeschooling] didn’t prepare me to take my athletics to the next level. That was the biggest frustration of mine.”

Once enrolled at AU, both Natali and Wolfgang say that academically they were average or above average in their classes. “Evidence suggests homeschoolers are doing extremely well academically,” says Griffith. “Social adjustment is usually people’s first concern.”

As a child, Natali says he was “probably exposed to many more social experiences than most other children my age.” He tested his social skills at AU through active involvement in extra-curricular activities and eventually being elected student body president in 2001.

Homeschoolers are often hesitant to tell professors and peers they were homeschooled. “A lot of people have the stereotype that we’re introverted,” says Wolfgang. Few people on campus knew Wolfgang was homeschooled, and he says because of that, he was able to break down the stereotype and help them become more open-minded with the situation.

Natali says he didn’t tell his professors of his homeschooling because, “I didn’t want them to evaluate me before they knew me. I wanted to prove myself first.” Instead, Natali says he focused on academic success and extra-curricular involvement. “I didn’t tell my professors of my homeschool experience until after they had formed their own opinion of my academic work,” Natali continues, “I didn’t want to be evaluated any differently than other students.”

The next question many people ask is, once homeschoolers are out of college, will the “real world” be receptive to them? Evidence seems to show that homeschooled students are looking to the future as optimistically as anyone who was publicly or privately schooled. Some, like Jason Wolfgang, will dive into the world of business and marketing. “From an internship standpoint,” Wolfgang says, “my experience has been the more sophisticated the employer is, the more accepting they have been.”

Natali has proven that homeschooled students continue to succeed after college. He is now in his fourth semester of law school at Indiana University. He is an editor on the Indiana Law Review and a member of the Dean’s Tutorial Society. He clerks for the Indianapolis law firm Meils Thompson & Dietz part time during the school year and volunteers for the Christian Legal Society’s pro bono program, offering free legal aid to those who cannot afford it.

Looking even farther ahead, Griffith said, “The real issue will be whether homeschoolers homeschool their own children.” Natali says, “I would certainly consider homeschooling my children someday.”